Visions and Revisions

The students mix up "can" and "do" a lot. For example, they will write something like:

"When I was child, I often eating Korean food, so I could like it very much."

or

"I love the swimming, so I can swim often."

And it is really difficult to explain the difference. I'll say "you were ABLE to eat the food, or you DID eat the food?" And they'll say "yes."

Recently, Mohammed wrote in an essay "I have always believed that I am different to the other people. When I do something, I can do that better than the others."

When I read that I wondered if everyone thinks so. I remember the moment when I realized that everyone has to swallow periodically to keep the inside of their mouth moist. Until I was six, I had thought it was my particular quirk. Does everyone believe that they are different to the other people?

Whenever I read a story, or even a novel, I think "I could have written that," and when I see some local artist's paintings in the High Point Cafe I think "I could have done that." Often, like when reading the in flight magazine, or a romance novel, I think "I could have written something better than that." I have felt this way all my life, about most things.

Recently though, when I think "I could have done that," a helpful skeleton person in my mind says "but you didn't."

Is difference between artists and everyone else is that artists make art?

Writers write.

Farmers farm. It's a known fact that if you wear overalls and chew on straw and have a business card that says "farmer" and when people say "and you, what do you do?" and you say "I'm a farmer," that does not make you a farmer.

There are action verbs and stative verbs, you learn this in grammar and in theatre. In English, action verbs are the verbs you do: walk, dance, go, murder and create. Stative verbs are the verbs that just are: have, see, hear and of course be.

In theatre action verbs are actable verbs. And be is not an actable verb. You can't put it in the "ing" form (I am being a rock star) and you can't do it. Not on stage and not in life.

This is wrong, but I still spend more time on "be" than any other verb. (I don't want to be an asshole, I am like her but not like him.) I can know this is wrong.

You were ABLE to know? Or you DO?